Article Summary:

Kristin and I left California in September 2009 to embark upon a two-year international backpacking adventure. You can read about our clothing and gear decision-making in The Global Test Part I. The second part of this series covers the first nine months of our trip, from September 2009 to June 2010, during which Kristin and I explored twelve countries and camped everywhere from northern Guatemala to southern Argentina.

Latin America was the first destination on our round-the-world itinerary. Kristin and I intended to travel there for only six months but instead stayed for nine. We were quickly improving our Spanish language skills, we were staying in our budget because overland travel was cheaper than flying to another continent, and we were tempted by the seemingly endless trekking opportunities in the Andes. We experienced all of Latin America’s seasons during this nine-month period, allowing us to evaluate our gear in almost every imaginable environment.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

Introduction

Overview - The Testing Ground

Gear List

Gear Evaluation

Clothes to Live In

Footwear

Sleep System

Packing

Cooking

Electronics

Assorted Essentials

Gear Availability

# WORDS: 3830
# PHOTOS: 14

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